Cheese-cutting machine.



PATENTED SEPT. 13, 1904.

M. FORAN.

CHEESE CUTTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 7. 1903.

4 SHEETS-8HBET 1.

N0 MODEL.

amuenfo'c PAT'ENTED SEPT. 13, 1904.

M. FORAN.

CHEESE CUTTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. '7. 1903.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

NO MODEL.

w 1 3 .l i

witfwooea PATBNTED SEPT. 13, 1904.

2M. FORAN. CHEESE CUTTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 7. 1903.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

NO MODEL.

amvenfoz Patented September 13, 1904.

PATENT Urrrcs.

MILTON FORAN, OF SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH.

CHEESE-CUTTING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 769,999, dated September 13,1904.

Application filed December 7, 1903. erial No. 184,214. (No model.)

To all whom 1'15 nan/y concern.-

Be itknown that I, MILTON FORAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at SaltLake City, in the county of Salt Lake and State of Utah, have invented new and useful Improvements in Cheese-Cutting Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates especially to cheesecutters in which there is a gage for determining the exact place at which to divide the cheese in order to cut off a certain weight or quantity.

The difficulty in cutting cheese, butter, and other similar substances so as to prevent waste and loss is well known, and the means heretofore employed for cutting oif an exact quantity have not proved entirely satisfactory.

This invention renders it possible to out off not only a required weight of cheese, but also a portion of a certain value, and is to that extent a calculator as well as a gage.

A feature of this invention also is the device for keeping the cheese clean and in good form.

Another improvement is in adapting the knife to a horizontal as well as a vertical movement, and yet leaving the knife detachable from the machine.

Another novel feature of this machine is the guide-controlled cheese-holding spears or pointed dogs in the cheeseboard; but these devices, together with others not enumerated as yet, are fully illustrated in the accompanying drawings, the various features of the machine being referred to by letters, similar letters denoting corresponding parts in the several views.

In the drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of the invention with the knife elevated and in its rest. Fig. 2 is an enlarged section of part of the cheese-board on line a? w of Fig. 4. Fig. 3 is an elevation from the operators position with the knife partly retracted. Fig. A is a plan of the cheese-board. Fig. 5 is a plan of the frame and part of the operating mechanism. Fig. 6 is an outer edge of the cheese-protector enlarged. Fig. 7 is an end of the cylindrical gage opposite to that shown v in Fig. 1, together with adjacent parts of the operating mechanism, enlarged. Fig. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary side view of the operating-lever and jaws; Fig. 9, an enlarged side view of the binding-lever and jaws; Fig. 10, an elevation of the pointed dog-guide, and Fig. 11 is a fragmentary vertical section of part of the operating mechanism.

The letter A indicates the base or frameof the machine. It is provided with bearings a for rollers a, upon which the edge of a peripheral band B has bearings.

C is the circular cheese-board, having the band B around its outer edge.

A is a vertical center post on frame A, which enters a central opening 0 in the cheeseboard. C.

c 0 are dogs pivoted in slots a in the cheeseboard and having arms 0 by which the lugs are lowered to clear the edge of the knife E by engaging the guide a on the frame A as the cheese-board is made to revolve. The pointed dogs 0 are normally raised to pierce the cheese and prevent its lateral movement.

D is the slotted knife support and guide, having a vertical standard and a horizontal arm extending over the center of the cheeseboard.

E is the knife. It is of rectangular shape and, as shown here, has two cutting edges 6 e and ahandle 6 At its upper inner corner are lateral pins 0 adapted to rest in recesses d 01 near the inner end of the knife-support. the end of the knife-support is a knife-rest d, having a vertical recess to receive the back of the knife-blade and a transverse recess (Z to engage the pins 0 While a vertical stroke of the knife is desired to cut the cheese, it is sometimes necessary to make a horizontal movement to cut through the crust at the top and bottom of the cheese. This knife is adapted to a horizontal movement, the pins 6 sliding in the recesses d d.

F is a cheese-protector to be set against the exposed cut face of the cheese to protect it from insects and from becoming dry or moldy. This protector has a vertical extension f at its lower corner to engage the central hole in the cheese-board and legs f f to engage the outer edge of the cheese-board. The upper ends of these legs are pivoted to the upper outer corner of the protector. The legs are made to tightly engage the edge of the cheese-board by a set-screw f which engages a threaded socket f on the protector. By these means the protector is held rigidly in a vertical position against the cut surface of the cheese.

G is a lateral extension on the side of the base-frame A, having posts 9 g, in which are bearings for the shaft k of a cylindrical gage H. Holes h are formed around the end of the gage to be engaged by a stop-pin if.

k is the startingrecess around the edge of gage H, and k h are inclined peripheral grooves on the gage, denoting, as marked, 9;, if, and 1 pound.

it represents figures denoting the entire weight of the cheese.

I is a lever Working .on the center post A and movable laterally beneath the gage H and between the posts 9 g on the extension G. Its outer end '5 is turned upward and supports a bolt Z, whose normal position is one of engagement with a groove if or it, but which may be retracted by an inward throw of the lever '5 I J is the slotted operating-lever, pivoted on the lever I just beneath the band B and having at that end fixed vertical jaws jy', provided with base-cogs j j to engage the base-cogs k on the counter-jaws K K, which are pivoted on the lever J. These jaws are adapted when the lever J is depressed to clamp the de.- pending edge of the band B.

L L are levers at each side of the extension G and having bearings on the frame A. They are actuated by springs Z Z and are connected at their front and rear by cross bars Z Z These levers are provided with fixed jaws Z near their inner ends and with pivoted jaws Z, having interlacing base-cogs Z at their ends, the normal position of these jaws being that of engagement with the band B. The front crossbar Z is immediately beneath the lever J and i in contact with it. When the lever J is depressed to clamp the band B, the subjacent bar Z depresses the levers LL and causes the jaws on said levers to release the band and permit the band and cheese-board to be revolved right or left by said lever J.

To operate the machine, weigh and find the center of the cheese and place it centrally on the cheese board, where it is held by the pointed lugs c 0'. Set the gage H so that the figures thereon which indicate the weight of the cheese are in horizontal alinement with the bolt Z. For example, if the cheese weighs thirty-five pounds the figures 35 should be setin line with the bolt Z. Then the groove it, marked 1Lb., would be in position to divide the cheese into thirty-five equal parts of one pound each. When it is desired to cut one-fourth of a pound, the bolt 2" being in the starting-recess 703, the lever Z is pushed forward to withdraw the bolt i and lever J is moved to the right until the bolt engages the first recess. Then lever J is depressed to clamp the band by its jaws and to release it from the jaws Z Z. Then lever J is swung back to the startingpoint, bringing beneath the previously-raised knife the exact place to be cut to separate one-fourth of a pound. In like manner other portions of the cheese are cut off.

If it is desired to cut off a portion of cheese of a given value, that is done by setting the gage to the number corresponding to the equal parts the operator wishes to divide the entire cheese into. For example, if the cheese weighs thirty-five pounds and the price is eighteen cents per pound the gage should be set at number 31. Thus the cheese would be divided into thirty-one equal parts, making twenty cents worth for each full swing of the lever, or five cents worth when moved to the first groove, ten cents worth at the second groove, &c.

What I claim, and desire to secure, is

'1. Acheese-cutter havinga rotating cheeseboard provided with vertical slots, dogs pivoted in said slots and an arm on said lugs adapted to engageaguide beneath said cheeseboard for the purpose specified.

2. A cheese-cutter having a knife frame and guide extending to the center of the cheeseboard and recesses therein, a rectangular knife having a'plurality of cutting edges, and lateral pins at the upper, inner corner of said knife to engage said recesses in said frame as described.

3. In a cheese-cutter a knife frame and guide having horizontal recesses (Z, d, a rectangular knife with a plurality of cutting edges movable in said frame, a knife-rest at the inner end of said frame provided with a transverse recess (Z and lateral pins to engage said recesses a1, and d as herein set forth.

4. In a cheese cutter having a circular cheese board, a cheese protector provided with a vertical extension to engage a central hole in said cheese-board and adjustable legs to engage the outer edge of said cheese-board, as described.

5. In a cheese cutter having a circular cheese-board with a central hole 0, a rectangular cheese protector having a threaded socket, a vertical extension on the inner lower corner of said protector to engage said hole 0, legs pivoted near the upper, outer corner of said protector and extending across the edge of the cheese-board, and a set-screw on said legs adapted to engage said threaded socket for the purpose specified.

6. In a cheese-cutter a base-frame having a central post, a rotary cheese-board with central hole to engage said post, a peripheral band on said board extending below its under surface, rollers journaled on said frame on which said band is carried, dogs pivoted in recesses in said board and provided with depending levers, and a guide on said frame to engage said levers as herein set forth.

7. In a cheese-cutter a base-frame, a rotary board above said frame, a peripheral band on said board, 'a laterally-swinging lever I movable on a center post on said frame, movable jaws on said lever to engage the outer side of said band, an operating-lever J pivoted on said lever I jaws on the inner end of lever I to engage the inner side of band B, base-cogs on said jaws engaging cogs on the opposite jaws, and a spring-bolt on the outer end of lever 1, for the purpose stated.

8. In a rotary cheese-cutter a cylindrical gage suitably journaled and having cheese weight-indices thereon, stop-holes in its ends, a peripheral recess and inclined peripheral grooves between its ends, a stop-pin to engage said end holes, and a spring-bolt to engage said recess and said grooves for the purpose herein described.

9. In a rotary cheese-cutter a cylindrical gage suitably journaled at a side of the frame, a peripheral recess and peripheral grooves between the ends of said gage, a spring-bolt to engage said recess and said grooves, a lever movable right and left beneath the cheeseboard to carry said spring-bolt, and jaws on said lever to engage a peripheral band on said cheese-board substantially as described.

10. In a rotary cheese-cutter a base-frame, a lateral extension on said frame, vertical posts on said extension having shaft-bearings therein, a shaft in said-bearings, a cylindrical gage on said shaft having stop-holes in its ends and a pin on said post adapted to engage said stopholes.

11. Ina cheese-cutter having a cheese-board with depending band thereon and rotating on a central post, a lever I journaled on said post, vertical jaws K pivoted on lever I, vertical jaws 7', fixed on the inner end of a lever J and interlacing cogs on jaws K and j, said jaws being adapted to engage the band on said cheese-board for the purpose specified.

12. In a cheese cutter having a rotary cheese-board provided with a depending peripheral band, a spring-actuated lever L, having a bearing on the cutter-frame and a fixed vertical jaw Z near its inner end, a vertical jaw Z, pivoted at its inner end and interlacing cogs on said jaws, said jaws being adapted to clamp said band as herein described.

13. In a cheese-cutting machine having a cheese-board and a band thereon, levers L, L, supported on the base-frame, jaws on the inner ends of said levers adapted to engage said band on said cheese-board, springs to normally raise said levers and a cross-bar Z connecting the outer ends'of said levers and subjaoent to a depressing-lever J, substantially as herein set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

" MILTON FORAN.

WVitnesses:

PHILANDER N. (1001;, SoNoMA BURNHAM. 

